The tubular articles of this invention are typically comprised of a thermally insulating yarn which may be supported by an inner tubular wire core. In a particular application, the articles are gaskets used, for example, as over door seals.
Woven tubular articles have been used for seals for oven doors for many years. These articles are typically made from a combination of an inner tubular support member formed of knitted wire and an outer tubular member made either by braiding, knitting or weaving an insulating material such as fiberglass yarn. Such structures have proven to be durable at the high temperatures used in self cleaning ovens and provide a good seal despite repeated openings and closures of the oven door over many years of use.
Methods of attaching a tubular gasket to an oven or oven door surface have typically comprised providing a retaining member which extends along the gasket and locking the retaining member between sheet metal pieces of the oven or by providing clamps at spaced locations around the periphery of the gasket.
An alternative form of gasket has attachment means comprised of a wire form having space attachment protrusions which fit into corresponding holes in surface to which the gasket is to be attached is shown in the prior art.
The present invention relates to an improvement in the fastening of gaskets to mounting surfaces and also to a novel resilient fastener which is simple to install onto a tubular gasket, easy to manufacture and effective in retaining the gasket to a support surface.
The present invention provides for an improved clip having a head with an apex, a pair of shoulders and a neck and a base attached to the head. The base may comprise of at least one coil coarse having a variable or constant radius of curvature.
Applicants novel improvement further provides a one piece resilient wire strand a portion defining a head and a second portion defining a base, the head and base perpendicular to one another and the head capable of protruding from the gasket while the base is engaged with an interior thereof.
Applicants novel invention further comprises a sealing apparatus comprising a gasket and a clip engaged with the gasket, the clip having a head and a coiled base, the coiled base being perpendicular to the plane of the head and adapted to be engaged with the metal core of the gasket, as being enclosed in an interior thereof.
The doors of many appliances, such as ovens, refrigerators, microwaves, etc., have flexible tubular gaskets around their perimeter for sealing and a variety of other reasons. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,986,033 and 4,822,060, the specifications and drawings of which are incorporated herein by reference and attached hereto.